1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to surgical devices, and more particularly to surgical table arm supports.
2. Related Art
During surgery on a patient's upper body or neck region, such as when a surgeon needs to gain access to the patient's jugular vein, for example, sometimes the surgeon needs to position the patient's arm upwardly so that the arm extends above their head. Typically, the surgeon elevates the patient's arm by supporting the forearm region on one or more pillows or folded blankets. Unfortunately, the pillows, blankets, or the like do not offer the ability to precisely position the patient's arm, and thus, the position attained may be less than optimal for both the surgeon as well as the patient. Further, using such devices to position the patient's arm offers little assurance the arm will remain “as positioned”, particularly if the supporting device shifts or becomes inadvertently dislodged. If the patient's arm is or becomes improperly positioned, trauma can be caused to the patient, and most commonly, the brachial plexus nerve bundle can be temporarily or permanently damaged.